ESPN broadcast glazes Tigers while Guardians betrayed by homer from Ohio native

There was no way of knowing how Game 3 of the Tigers and Guardians' Wild Card series would shake out through five innings. Things were tied at 1-1, and the Tigers were still leaving men on base and the Guardians were still not getting hits. Jack Flaherty gave Detroit 4 2/3 innings of one-run ball, but the leash was short, so he was pulled after walking a batter before being replaced by Kyle Finnegan.

The Tigers' first run of the game came on a Kerry Carpenter RBI double in the third. The Guardians responded with a José Ramírez single in the bottom of the fourth. Otherwise, both offenses were still coming up short.

That is, until Dillon Dingler stepped up for his third plate appearance of the day. Dingler's bat was silent through Games 1 and 2 (though he did walk twice in the latter, which is rare for him), and he'd struck out twice already in Game 3.

ESPN's broadcasters could not stop reminding their viewing audience that Dingler was from Ohio and grew up rooting for Cleveland. If you'd participated in a drinking game and only drank when they mentioned it, you'd be hammered.

So, fittingly, it was mentioned when Dingler hit a go-ahead solo homer in the sixth. "Dillon Dingler, who grew up just down the road — Massillon, Ohio!" yelled Sean McDonough.

Ohio native Dillon Dingler's go-ahead homer spurs Tigers' four-run rally over Guardians in Wild Card Game 3

Dingler's home run was just the start of it. The Tigers couldn't get any more going in the sixth, but Javy Báez — the Tigers' hottest bat in this series — led off the seventh with a double before Parker Meadows put runners on the corners with a single. Hunter Gaddis replaced Erik Sabrowski and got Gleyber Torres to ground out for the first out, then Steven Vogt intentionally walked Kerry Carpenter.

Up came Wenceel Pérez, confoundingly batting third in Thursday's lineup. Pérez had struck out, popped out, and grounded into a double play already, and he struck out with runners on the corners in Game 2 as part of an 0-for-3 day. No one expected him to do anything with the bases loaded situation.

He hit a two-run single off of Gaddis, which gave way to an RBI single for Spencer Torkelson and then another for Riley Greene. Matt Festa ultimately got Cleveland out of the inning, but the Tigers had a 6-1 lead.

If case you forgot, Dillon Dingler is from Ohio. We'll tip our caps to Ohio just this once.